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Cicero

Could server side auto-harvesting prevent macroing?

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Here's how I see the server-side auto-harvesting working:

 

1. you click on the resource to be harvested

2. You get a message "You begin to harvest the vegetables"

3. The server occasionally sends a successful harvest message.

4. Harvesting stops as soon as your inventory is full or you do anything else (such as manu or drop something)

 

Here's how I see this complicating people's existing macros:

1. repeated clicking will just continuously start and stop the auto-harvesting without ever actually doing anything

2. since auto-harvesting stops whenever you do something, you can't just auto-drop while you auto-harvest

 

Here's how I think it could be even more complicated:

Require a small but random number of clicks to start the harvesting. Like 1-5 (~20% rate of failure to start harvesting, regardless of level). While a smart proxy program could tell when auto-harvesting actually began, a simple mouse/keyboard marco would be unable to tell when it needed to click. Most people seem to be using a generic macro recorder rather than a proxy or harvesting bot tailored to EL. This would save a lot of people's fingers and possibly cut down on most of the macroing that's going on.

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One additional thing this does is allow going back to a no macro/autoclicking rule instead of having one exception that can confuse some people.

 

It also helps out the people that haven't gotten autoclickers.

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One additional thing this does is allow going back to a no macro/autoclicking rule instead of having one exception that can confuse some people.  

 

It also helps out the people that haven't gotten autoclickers.

 

uhm and WHAT about people who have RSI? or complaint... i DONT wanna stop playing a GOOD game cuz my wrists hurt!

 

people just need 2 learn the rules and no satin gloves on!!

if you get caught macroing BAN and never return!

that teaches people!

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Cicero, this idea sounds good, but people can script anyway, just by making a proxy that clicks once, and waits for like 20-30 seconds for a harvest successful message, and if this message doesn't come then try again.

Additionally, this will be annoying, since you won't know if the harvest started or not, until the first successful message.

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You missed part of what I said. Harvesting would begin and end with a "You {began, stopped} harvesting vegetables". Also, what you're talking about is more like a proxy. There really isn't much we can do to prevent that ever. I think just about everyone right now is using a dumb keyboard/mouse macro recorder. A dumb macro wouldn't be able to read what's on the screen.

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If they are not using a proxy, this can be defeated easely by making the server send a command like "rotate the camera just a little", so their clicking will go wrong, after enough rotate the camera a little messages.

Of course, they can remove that code and recompile it, but if they are smart enough to do that then they are smart enough to make a proxy.

In fact, all it takes is for one to make such a proxy, and distribute it to others.

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But we can at least take the steps to prevent the simple macroing that is going on. Otheriwse you might as well just say its legal if you don't take some of the basic steps to prevent it.

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What I am saying is that macro harvesting is not the only, or even worse problem. Research macroing can be as bad, and other, more complex forms of macroing exist too. If/when we'll implement an anti macro thing, I want it to be generic rather than having 10 kinds of antimacroing. I also want to make it a little harder to defeat.

The suggestion proposed by Cicero can be easely defeated by a 10 yo kid that knows VB. We need something harder.

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Server side autoharvest isn't just macro prevention. It reduce server load & bandwidth (how many people really click only once per second?). It makes it more fun for players instead of click city. It reduces the number of people wanting autoclickers/macroers. And finally it reduces the possibility of macro harvesting with the simple programs.

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I know that, and it will be implemented, but it's not exactly easy to do it, and I want to finish integratign the scripting language first, and then i'll take care of the server side harvesting as well.

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i think maybe there would be an easy way to stop macroeing than the ones u explain here.

 

1. after a RANDOM number of harvests something happens like please clik here or something(example<-----)

 

2. for reaserch macroeing, maybe there caN be a moderator at the wsc library. have u seen the place. like 5 ppl r there. but they r afk and coincidently :roll: they were researching :roll: there can maybe also probably (this is very childishly stupid) a signal to the mods or admins if a player has been afk for more than 10 minutes. and you shouldnt warn ppl because of obvious reasons . cant tell u here.

 

3. BE MORE AGGRESSIVE TO THE MACROERS DONT EVEN WARN, ONLY IN THE ENTERING SCREEN IT SHOULD WARN THAT MACROERS WILL BE BANNED NO NOTICES WILL BE GIVEN OUT. srry bout the caps :P

 

im not even sure i can say n e more ttyl :lol:

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a signal to the mods or admins if a player has been afk for more than 10 minutes

There's the problem. How do you determine if someone's afk?

 

I read a suggestion about sending a low resolution picture with a question every once in a while. Would that increase network traffic too much?

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Most people that macro research are not in the library so that would be a waste of time. I really wouldnt like having some random picture or something pop up and you would have to type something, that would suck and be really annoying. Well thats my opinion :)

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Afk researching is legal, macro researching to feed yourself isn't. That makes it even harder because people can feed themselves and then go afk and come back a while later and then eat again to continue researching.

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Or run another macro program to let you eat...

My point was that afk reading is legal, and how people legally can be sitting and researching for long times without using a macro. That will make it very hard to identify macro readers from regular afk readers.

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Guest Toyminator

But whats the diffirence? Maybe if you're reading your name should be green automaticly

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The difference is one is legal and the other isn't. This thread is about how to catch macroers. Having an AFK color wouldn't mean that anything is wrong and doesn't help mods very much since macroing detection is whats needed, not afk or afk research.

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Guest Toyminator

Wait, maybe you need to turn the pages lmao...no jk

If you only can read on at the time, you need to be there to do the other, hmmm maybe you need to deliver the books back to the library...and you can't read books in the library ahhhg whatever...

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Or you can't read unless there is a light source close to you. If you are outside at night and you aren't by a light pole or a fire you can't read, but people could easily get around this by going into a house with a light. I think it would be cool though :)

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Guest Toyminator

Or you need to say kalalalaalal if you want THIS SUCKS, there will never be a solution!

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